1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rain shielded mounting boxes used to pass through cladding of building walls and provide access from the outside to such features as gable, wall and soffit vents, electrical receptacles, light fixtures, dryer outlets, etc. The foregoing can be summarized by the above title.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of features, adapted to be attached to external composite walls, creates, due to water infiltration from rain into the aforementioned walls, a serious danger. Attempts have been made to eliminate or at least to alleviate this danger. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,081, granted on Oct. 4, 2005 to Bonshor for a “WATER DEFLECTING APPARATUS” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,358,440, granted on Apr. 15, 2008 to Funk et al. for a “RAIN SHIELDED BOX FOR EXITING THROUGH SIDING” have addressed the problem.
Bonshor's patent discloses an apparatus mounted on a wall which includes a sheathing covered by a siding. The apparatus includes an inner, or rear, member including a mounting plate and a protrusion. The protrusion is rectangular having a top, a bottom, a right side and a left side. The top includes two portions which slop downwardly from a center of the top towards the sides. The slopping portions of the top deflect water towards the sides, where via passageways which extend from the top to the bottom of the protrusion the water is diverted. The passageways are formed by spaced-apart flanges and a connecting web. There is a skirt extending along the bottom of the rear member for diverting the water from the mounting plate toward the exterior of the siding.
The main disadvantage of Bonshor's apparatus resides in the use of two portions which slop downwardly from a center of the top of the protrusion towards the sides. These portions not being inclined downwardly towards the front of the protrusion, one can wonder whether the water intended to reach the passageways and be conveyed along the latter, before and by and large flows over external margins of the two portions. Another important disadvantage consists in dimensioning the transversal opening of the passageways in order to be suitable for different types of rain (from normal to torrential). Yet another disadvantage of Bonshor's apparatus resides in its complicated structure: the passageways are formed by spaced-apart flanges and a connecting web.
Funk's et al. patent refers to a rain shielded box comprising a large, nailing, rectangular flange, mounted vertically against an outside sheathing and a box-shaped structure. The large, nailing, rectangular flange is attached to a wall contacting end of the box-shaped structure. Funk's et al. rain shielded box incorporates as well a shoulder downwardly and outwardly inclined relative to the large, nailing, rectangular flange. A flange runs along the top surface of the box-shaped structure. The flange has a gap in the center and spaced away from this gap there is a slightly arcuate barrier used for deflecting water that hits the large, nailing, rectangular flange along the top and splashes back towards the flange. Then, water moves generally towards the two sides. Shoulders having a plurality of spaced apart notches or grooves spaced along a length thereof near an outer edge of each surface of a shoulder. Upon contacting the notches, the water is immediately bound to the surfaces of the shoulder by surface tension and flows down to a rain drip flange. The rain drip flange extends across the bottom surface of the box-shaped structure. A cover plate that fits over and locks to the box-shaped structure is used.
Funk's et al. rain shielded box has several structural and functional shortcomings. First, the large, nailing, rectangular flange is attached only at its sides with nails which are predisposed to rust. Second, the structure is complicated, a relatively large number of component being used. Third, diverting the water to the sides does not seem practical and efficient.